Imagine a place where the canvas of the sky meets the earth's vibrant palette - one such place is…read morethe Snake Creek Recreation Area in Platte, South Dakota. It's like stepping into a living landscape painting, where every hue is a brushstroke by Mother Nature herself. At Snake Creek, every path is an invitation to a new story. Burgeoning waters crackle with the rhythm of the wind, fishing spots that promise the thrill of the catch, and picnic areas that welcome you to dine amidst the whispers of the wind. As the day ends, the real magic begins. The sun dips below the horizon, and the night sky unveils a masterpiece - a tapestry of twinkling stars. Gather around a crackling bonfire , share stories under the celestial canopy, and create memories that will sparkle forever. Snake Creek is a perfect stop for RVers. See our Leisure Travel Van below, happily cooling off after a long day's ride through the flatlands of Nebraska and South Dakota. Many slots for RV's are level: some are not. The campground is on the edge of a major waterway and the site follows the contours of the water. There are full, partial and no hookup sites for those with RV's. There's also tent sites. The bathrooms / showerhouses sparkle. And there's a dump site for RV's. "ExplorewithUnity #leisurevans #LTVexplorers #rovertreks #ifwtwa #natja #rvlife #SnakeCreekWonders #SouthDakota #ArtInNature #TravelTales #instagood #travelphotography

Snake Creek State Recreation Area is a rural campsite with full cellular network coverage,…read morewaterfront (Missouri River), full hookups, and not ludicrously priced. When we pulled up, there was only one RV near 15 empty RV spaces and us. Behind our spot, the mighty Missouri River which at this point was behind a dam and a mile wide. Our space had hookups intended for a RV to back-in, but I was not going to a miss an opportunity to sit and look out at the windshield. This campground did not have water or sewer, only electric, which is odd but for two days, it would not be a problem. Voilà, campsite setup! I loved this campground and this location. I would have feel comfortable staying here for two weeks, settling into a slower pace, with a beautiful view. Perhaps in the future, we will stop here for another stay. Would I recommend this park? Absolutely. Would we come back? Absolutely, I am trying to figure out a way to pass through this part of South Dakota again. Informational: We travel in a 36' Class A RV.

Perhaps one of the greatest roadside stops on the highways of America! Not only is it a glimpse…read moreinto the mind of the creator, it is a fun way to spend the afternoon! The $10 admission was well worth it to us, some of the things we've paid way more to see can't come close to what we saw along the path in the grassy plains of South Dakota! The massive steel sculptures and creations capture your imagination and take you on a journey. Some are downright creepy, some are extremely bizarre and some are weirdly interesting! Many of the poetry boards that compliment the sculptures will leave you scratching your head and a few will leave you with a smile on your face! The photo opportunities are endless and the grassy path through the sculptures is a nice nature walk. Pets are welcome to come along, our little one had a ball climbing on the colorful creations, he thought they were there for him! A definite must stop on the Highway 90 in South Dakota, I/ mean, what else is there to do?!

It's a joke charging $10 bucks....for what? Porter is way, way over rated…read more I am reading the reviews and I am so confused by the reviews, creative, impressive, stunning and a must see. Not sure if those people are seeing the same sculptures as I? Waste of money.

This is a hidden gem located less than an hours drive from Sioux Falls. Lake Herman is located in…read moreMadison close to Lake Madison and Lake Brant. This is a spring fed glacial lake. The park is on the south east corner of the lake. This state park has hiking trails, beaches, canoe rental, boat launch and camping. The park itself is large and features mature shade trees and areas of natural prairie. With all the outdoor things to do and being so close to Sioux Falls, this place is a must visit.

A lovely state park campground! The lots were huge and level, with wide gravel parking pads. The…read moregrass around the sites was well groomed and a fire ring was included. The bathrooms were clean, with large separate shower rooms. The shower was best part, as it had a residential adjustable temperature controller instead of the push-button that many campgrounds do. The water flow was stronger than my house. Its also a dog-friendly park. Inside the campground, leashes are required, but in the rest of the park off-leash is permissible. Tie-outs on your site are also allowed. Canoes were available for rent for $15/3 hours or $30/day. There's also a boat ramp as its a large 1350 acre lake.

I cannot for the life of me understand why they are calling this a Japanese garden. This is a small…read morestretch of grass and paving stones near some water. If this city wanted to call it a park, that would be passable, but it's actually insulting and frustrating that they are calling this a Japanese garden. I was able to find what I think is a Japanese maple and they had a bridge that looks like they tried to style it in a Japanese style over an empty bed of rocks that was possibly intended as a koi pond once upon a time, but as it stands, there is nothing Japanese about this location. It's really confusing. For anyone who's not clear, putting a stone lantern from Pier One next to a walkway does not make it a Japanese garden. To add insult to injury, they had the sprinklers going full blast at noon with only one pathway in and out. We got soaked, as did many other people who seemed like locals that were just trying to walk on their lunch break. I was hoping to stop here and feel a little more Zen but I left wet and annoyed.

Beautiful! You would never know you're in a big city. It was peaceful and a great spot to have a…read morepicnic and a walk.

I can't rate the weather, which is windy and blustery and not a good day to be on the lake,…read moreunfortunately. We camped for 2 nights on the east side in space 54 with only a few others nearby a few sites away. It's just what we needed to decompress after the College World Series in Omaha. Beautiful scenery and views! We had planned on renting kayaks and getting out on the lake, but with 26 mph winds, intermittent rain and clouds, it just wasn't happening. There is nobody at either entrance for camping or state park permits so it's a self pay kiosk. It looks like you can also pay for the firewood and just take it from the side, but not sure. We didn't take any due to the weather. I am wondering though, to rent a kayak is says to do so at the front gate, so there is nobody there and wondering how quickly someone would answer the phone number listed to call. Didn't find a camp store either which we had seen online and doubt it would be open if there was either being a week day and very few people at the park. We did drive 6 miles into the cute town of Canistota where you can still pump gas and then go in and pay afterwards. Nice people in the store. Overall, impressed with the cleanliness of all facilities. The restrooms were spotless and even free from creepy crawly bugs in the showers that we find at other campgrounds. Speaking of bugs, there is a multitude of little flies that bite that we were fighting off. Bug repellent didn't seem to "bug" them at all and they were so abundant we had to head indoors. Our poor pups were scratching and nipping as these things covered their fur. That is however, the only negative thing we could find here. If ever in the area again, we wouldn't hesitate to stay again!

Love Lake Vermilion State Park. You have alot of camping sites to choose from. They open a new…read moresection not long ago because everyone lives camping there. You can either camp on 2 different sides of the lake. They have a very good dump station to empty your tanks or fill up with fresh water. All the rangers are so nice.

I was visiting as a way to get through SD and go further west from eastern Minnesota. As I drove a…read morelong, we caught sight of the dinosaur mostly behind the field surrounded by the chain link fence and immediately next to St James Catholic Church. One dinosaur is on a raised bed and is clearly for looking at, not touching. Then a triceratops is wandering (ok, standing) loose and free for petting. Next to that is an archeological dig site with a jeep...all made of heavy concrete (?) to scale. It was a lot of fun for 3 adults with childlike glee who came upon it but sheer surprise. We spent 15 - 20 minutes taking pictures.

From the owner: South Dakota Dinosaur Park presently has a life-size mosasaur, as well as a triceratops and a…read moredinosaur bones playground. This park is in the beginning stage of becoming a one-of-a-kind free dinosaur park located in the middle of S.D. Work is in progress to secure funds for further development and sculptures. In 1992 a 12 to 15 ft. mosasaurs was unearthed in the city limits of Chamberlain, S.D. inspiring recreate a life-size sculpture.

VERY pretty park right in the heart of Sioux Falls. It was quite busy on a Saturday morning- a lot…read moreof runners too, but many families enjoying the park. They appear to let you climb amongst the rocks but it has rained recently and I figured that was a dumb idea for me personally. There is alot of wide open grass for a picnic as well as they have a cafe here with a view of the falls. If you come on a Saturday, they do have a farmers market That's pretty close so make sure to check that out too.

I was so excited to see this place, my first time in Sioux Falls. The park itself is nice as is the…read moreobservation deck. But It's hard to articulate my disappointment about the state the water is in. The river is so contaminated it runs a brownish yellow. The park smells of sewage mixed with a slaughterhouse. I was worried about breathing in the mist coming off the falls if we got too close. Plastic bottles and garbage pile up at the edges of the rocks with little waves of brown foam. Stuff like this makes me hate human beings and the way we disregard and disrespect our own beautiful natural places.

The name of this facility is the Outdoor Campus and it's a joint project of the South Dakota Dept…read moreof Game Fish and Parks and the City of Sioux Falls Parks and Rec Dept. Not only can you get your hunting and fishing licenses here, but you can also learn more about hunting and fishing as well as animals, survival, and more. They have free classes, try it events, walking trails, an aquarium, geo-caching, and more. There's a fantastic playroom for the kids where they can learn while they're playing. After exploring the museum on our own we headed over to a table where Thea (she works there) met us and we made Sunshine in the Clouds. This is usually an activity she does with the kids, but I'm a big kid so it went over really well. We took peaches (sunshine), cool whip (the clouds) and cinnamon graham crackers. We added all the ingredients into a bag and crushed them. It was good, messy, fun! Then you just cut a whole in the bag and squeeze it into your mouth. It tasted like peach pie Outside they have a beautiful walking path. We visited in fall so a lot of the plants were withering. I bet it's gorgeous in the spring and summer! It was gorgeous and I really enjoyed walking around in the beautiful weather. There is so much to see and do here that a family could easily spend all day here. The best part is that it's free!

Free nature escape. The offerings of this facility are impression, and would be especially…read morewonderful if you have young kids (they do free archery training and stuff). Must see in Sioux Falls

Pretty park and city run campground. The sites are right next to each other but I'm guessing the…read morecampground doesn't get much use? No one else was here while we were here anyway, but that could just be the time of year. It's right next to the road, so it's noisy during the day. Electrical hookups for only $10 (pay down the street). Oh, and no restrooms on site (again, down the street). Sounds like a bunch of negatives but for a one night layover, it's a nice spot next to a calm pond with ducks. Take a walk to the island and enjoy the peacefulness.